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Self-driving cars aren't too far off

Megan Hickey, Medill News Service
9:36 p.m. EDT April 10, 2013

This handout image provided by the New Mexico Department of Motor Vehicles(NMDMV) on May 7, 2012, shows the first officially licensed Google self-driving car, a Toyota Prius hybrid.(Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON — The most intelligent driver is not a driver at all, a group of information technology and automotive industry leaders said Wednesday. Your car soon may be doing the driving on its own.

Representatives from Google, Toyota and Texas Instruments were on Capitol Hill to review the development of self-driving vehicles — which are poised to enter the transportation world if federal regulations will allow.

"Self-driving vehicles were always 20 years out on the horizon," said Chris Urmson, an engineer for Google's Self-Driving Car Program. But now, after testing a series of successful prototypes, he said technology for a fully autonomous, self-driving car is "more like five years away."

The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation — which sponsored the panel discussion — said the benefits of developing "intelligent transportation systems" such as the driverless car include reduced fuel consumption, increased safety and increased mobility for individuals incapable of conventional driving.

Google's self-driving cars are able to sense their surroundings, pedestrians and even stoplights. "But unlike a person, they can see 360 degrees around," Urmson said. These vehicles have completed more than 400,000 miles of autonomous driving to date.

He said the cars are also able to better utilize road space. With a road full of driverless vehicles, cars can safely drive closer together — using less space and reducing traffic and travel times.

While the technology is available, panelists also recognized the fact that in most cases, the technology is actually ahead of the law. States such as Nevada, Florida and California have passed laws permitting the operation of driverless cars, but most states still require a licensed driver behind the wheel.

"If an automated vehicle goes through a stoplight, who's responsible?" asked Jason Schulz of Toyota Motor Sales. "The question is identifying who the driver is. These are the kinds of questions that we need to decide before we can move forward."

But even if regulatory issues are resolved, it likely will be awhile before driverless cars are crowding the highways.

It's difficult to estimate the car's price tag, but the cost of the equipment in the latest version of Google's driverless car is at least $150,000.